Deck

Pizza is big business and Denver's piece of the (Neapolitan-style[5]) pie is getting bigger by the day. Live Basil Pizza[6]—the new fast-casual concept from Smashburger[7]'s Tom Ryan[8]—opens today on Hampden Avenue. Look for 11-inch pizzas (pictured) that are made in front of you (à la Chipotle) and cook by the time you fill your cup at the Boylan's[9] soda fountain. "All ingredients fall into at least one of these categories: organic, all-natural, imported, or authentic, "Ryan says. "This is the new generation of pizza."

Next week, Boulder's Pizzeria Locale[10] (which was number 17 on our list of 2012 Best 25 Restaurants[11]), opens a streamlined Denver outpost[10]. The much-anticipated[12] restaurant from the Frasca Food and Wine[13] folks will fall into the fast-casual realm—perfect for the Sixth Avenue and Broadway location. Locale will distinguish itself from the competition by using premium ingredients (the same featured at the full-service Boulder location) and a state-of-the-art pizza oven that took 18 months to perfect.

All of this comes on the heels of the announcement that Las Vegas-based Project Pie[14] will debut in Boulder this summer. And, of course, there was last week's opening of Pizza Republica[15] downtown next to the Convention Center. (Although focused on Neapolitan-style pies, Republica is a full service restaurant with an extensive menu[16].)

Meanwhile, despite the flurry of new eateries, Toppings Pizza Works, a fast-casual pizza shop in LoDo, closed its doors[17] a couple weeks ago. And, at the end of last year, Tossa (Tom's Ryan's original fast-casual pizza concept) closed[18] in Boulder. Ryan’s intention was to refine the idea—which, you can assume is now realized with Live Basil Pizza.